Black History: Special Delivery!!

Who Was The First Black Woman To Argue and Win A Case Before The Supreme Court?

Answer: Lucy Terry Prince

Lucy Terry Prince came to America as a slave. Her freedom was purchased by her husband at the time of their marriage. The Supreme Court case was heard in Vermont in the 1790’s where she and her husband were landowners. The case was brought to trial because land the couple owned was threatened to be taken due a false claim on the land being initiated. Though Lucy did hire a lawyer to file the suit. She chose to address the court on her own on the day of the trial without the assistance of her lawyer. The amazing fact about Lucy was that she was not a trained lawyer. However, she was still successful in winning her case. The supreme court justice who heard the case remarked that Lucy presentation was better than many trained lawyers in his opinion. To learn more about this amazing woman, click on the link below: